The present invention relates to a fabric cover marking device and method. In particular, the present invention relates to a device used for marking the locations of snap fasteners on a boat cover or the like and to a method for manufacturing a fabric cover for attachment to snap studs mounted on a structure to be covered.
Fabric boat covers, such as those typically used to cover the cockpit area of a sail boat or cabin cruiser, normally are fastened in place by snap fasteners. Snap sockets are mounted to the cover, typically by riveting, in selected locations to be engageable with corresponding snap studs that are threaded into the boat structure around the periphery of the cockpit opening.
The conventional method of making such covers uses spring-loaded clamps to secure canvas or plastic material to the snap studs. The areas around the clamps then are marked. Finally, the cover material is taken back to the upholsterer's shop, where snap sockets are riveted into the material at the marked locations.
The step of marking the fabric with the socket locations is particularly time consuming, due mostly to the nature of the clamps used. The clamps typically used are quite heavy and unwieldy and often have to be resecured several times before the entire cover is clamped down. Moreover, the clamps frequently disengage from the snap studs and fall off into the water, entailing further delay and occasional loss of the clamps, which are expensive to replace.
The present invention is intended to provide a fabric cover marking device that will reliably secure the fabric to the snap studs and facilitate the marking of the locations of the snap sockets.
The present invention also is intended to provide a fabric cover marking device that is relatively inexpensive and that reduces the time needed to mark the locations of the snap sockets.
In addition, the present invention is intended to provide an improved method of manufacturing a fabric cover to be attached to snap studs mounted on the structure to be covered.
Additional advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from that description or can be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention can be realized and obtained by the apparatus and method particularly pointed out in the appended claims.